a year ago...

Last year at this time, I got my doctor's okay to resume Horseback riding and Bellydancing! A wonderful year indeed! When you think about it, 4 months is not long to wait at all!
To celebrate, here are photos taken this week, from both of my passions...

I LOVE this exercise!

A couple of weeks ago I heard from my first and primary bellydance teacher, Sandy (Bedia), because of this blog. She's scheduled for hip surgery and couldn't find much info regarding bellydancers and THR - I wish more dancers would write about their experiences, it would be so helpful to others who are facing that situation.

Sandy's always been into fitness and exercise, so after retiring from bellydance she went into teaching Pilates and Zumba. Of course, like so many other dancers and fitness professionals (including myself) who power on with their activities even through injuries and pain, she finally learned she was a candidate for hip replacement surgery. The silver lining is that I'm sure her level of fitness will help her recover quickly.

She gave me a great exercise I hadn't heard before, and I've added it to my day. It requires an appropriate slope where you can walk (I use my backyard):
1. Walk backwards up the hill
2. When at the top, turn 45 degrees, and walk downhill step together, step out, close etc.
3. At the bottom, come back uphill, same step.
4. At the top, turn 180 degrees, do downhill same step.
5. Come uphill same step.
6. Walk backwards down the hill.
This works weaker leg muscles, hamstrings, adductors, abductors.

I LOVE this exercise! You'd think from all the dance steps I'm used to doing it would be a piece of cake, but the first time I did it I could feel various leg muscles startng to burn half-way down the hill! It must be the angle of incline making the difference. Anyway, my neighbors will no doubt chalk it up to just another of my "weird" activities...

So I wonder how many dance and fitness professionals are "in the closet" about their physical ailments?
If you've decided to "come out" please connect with me: Anthea (Kawakib)

What my weight belt told me...

Sometimes when I don't have time or energy to do regular exercises I just put on my weight belt (from Delilah) while I'm doing house chores, and I've noticed that when I'm walking, my right foot (THR side) feels different hitting the floor than the other. The impact is much more jarring, but so far I can't pinpoint why. There's something different about how I'm using that side, I'm trying to figure it out.

I would never have noticed without the weight belt. I should be a paid spokesperson for these things - I don't get anything for recommending them. I really love mine, and tell my students if they REALLY want to get into their bellydance movements they should get one, but I know they're pricey and it's hard for students to spend what could be costume money on something like a weight belt. Too bad, they are really cool. They're really amazing 0 in my experience they seem to magnify what the body is doing, in terms of awareness. They make you really feel what your muscles are doing. Obviously, they're fabulous if you do Egyptian style, where you need that inner muscular awareness.

So now I have to wear it and walk around to see if I can figure out what I'm doing that's different on my right side...

I'm including a link to them on Delilah's site because I think they're awesome -

getting LOTS of exercise :)

Wow! a LOT of dancing and horseriding lately...

I'm bringing back an old choreography that needs advanced dancers, my Tambourine Dance to John Bilezikjian's Hezy Yana Waim. What a great song! I love the dance too, it's intense... a couple of my upper level students and I will do it at our Recital in July, I'm really looking forward to it!

All five of my classes are focused on Recital now, so we're cramming in all the choreography review and Tribal Odyssey polishing we can at each class. It's great how deadlines get students' attention!

We're starting extra rehearsals next week so it'll add even more to the routine.

This past week I had a great time riding, rode Reecie Friday, Champagne on Sunday, and Missy yesterday. They're the best! All so sweet & responsive. I'm really focusing on getting my legs on, doing two-point in the trot, and posting while keeping my legs & upper body in position. Missy and I did a little cavaletti work yesterday, but it was so freaking hot & humid we only rode for about 20 minutes. I think it was 90 degrees with matching humidity - at 7pm!